Clouds or Sun
by Phoenix1972
Summary: An unexpected Spring storm comes with a visitor to Four Corners that will make life difficult for the Seven.  After the storm passes will it be Clouds or Sun?
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: The Magnificent Seven and characters are the property of MGM Television, The Mirsch Corporation, Trilogy Entertainment Group and CBS. No profit has been made off of this work and I unfortunately don't own them. No copyright infringement is intended._

Clouds or Sun

Chapter 1

Fluffy white clouds chased each other across a sky so blue that it could rival the most brilliant sapphire, the sun just beginning to warm the earth as the tall prairie grass gently swayed with the light spring breeze that had come up over the last few moments. It was the beginning to a perfect day or so Vin Tanner thought as he turned Peso towards Four Corners and home. Home. He shook his head in silent amazement, how could the small town and its inhabitants have grown on him so quickly? He had only intended to stop long enough to earn some money to re-supply and continue his hunt for Eli Joe.

He had grown close to the six peacekeepers he now called friends. He used to enjoy his solitary existence; things were less complicated when you didn't have to worry with friends. Oh, he had acquaintances and a few good friends scattered throughout the Mid-West but he'd never had the boys. It was like having a ready made family; it made it hard to move on. But constantly looking over your shoulder could wear on a body after a while and if you wanted to keep your neck the same length it was something you had to do. Of course his new friends and their additional sets of eyes definitely made the chore a lot easier.

As Vin neared the town limits he met JD on the way out of town to begin his watch. As Vin drew Peso to a halt JD pulled up alongside and greeted him. "Mornin' Vin. All quiet?"

"Yup, nothing much stirring out there, Baker Pass was quiet." Vin replied looking up at the sky and the slight darkening of the clouds north of town. "Best keep a weather eye on the northern sky JD; it looks as if something may be brewing."

Turning in the saddle JD took notice of the building cloud line. "I'll start my patrol over by Nettie's, help her and Casey get everything buttoned up, just in case."

"I'm sure you'll do that." Vin grinned "Try to stay dry, and be careful."

JD blushed to the roots of his hair and urged his horse on. With a squeeze of his knees, Vin set Peso into motion, "Ok boy let's get a move on, the last thing I want to be is wet. I know you don't mind so much but I just don't have a hankering for it today." He laughed and shook his head "And here I thought we were going to have us a beautiful day."

A few minutes later he rode up to the livery and settled Peso for the morning. Reaching up he gave Peso a good scratching between the ears before heading off to the saloon to check in with the guys and scare up some breakfast. As he neared the saloon he noticed that the gentle soothing breeze from earlier had quickly increased and was now kicking up the dust to bite painfully at exposed skin. As he pushed through the doors he could see Buck sidled up to the bar trying to get Inez's attention while she cleaned the mirror behind the bar.

"Senor Wilmington if you don't stop making those faces you're going to crack my mirror and then I will be vexed with you. How many times do I have to tell you, your wily ways will not work on me?" Inez huffed, climbing down from the chair waving her rag at him.

Buck gave her the toothiest grin he possessed and stated, "Darlin' I only have eyes for you and if you would just give me a moment of your time I could show you just how happy I could make you."

"Don't believe him Inez, what he's offering wouldn't buy you a cup of coffee and a decent meal" Vin laughed as he clapped Buck on the shoulder. Buck turned and stared at him with an open mouthed expression before turning back to Inez. "He's delirious, in fact he's completely out of his mind, has no idea what he's talking about". Inez snickered and poured a cup of coffee for Vin which he picked up and took over to the corner table. Buck followed and slumped into the seat across from him.

"When are you gonna learn that she doesn't fancy you?" Vin commented after taking a long sip of the strong brew.

"Never! She'll come around one day, you'll see, I've just got to keep her interested"

"Buck, you know there are plenty of other available women in town. How about Melissa May, she would just love for you to pay court on her." Vin commented wiggling his eyebrows.

"No thank you, I don't wish to be visiting Nathan with a hind end full of buck shot when her father takes offense" Buck groused.

"I don't know it might be an improvement" Vin snickered. Buck just stared at him. "Maybe you should keep to the married ladies, they keep you on your toes trying to stay one step ahead of their husbands and it makes them feel special."

That put a smile on Buck's face and he reached up to smooth his mustache with a devilish twinkle in his eye. "You may just have something there Vin my man. It would be my civic duty to keep the lonely housewives of our fair town happy."

Vin about choked on his coffee with Buck's last statement "B…uck, ugh, dang it! Warn a person would ya…Okay…A piece of friendly advice…I wouldn't be chasing the ladies of OUR town, that's just not healthy. I don't know about you but I don't want some angry husband accidentally shooting me when they were aiming at you instead, no offense."

Buck waved his hand at Vin nonchalantly, "None taken. I was just funnin' ya Vin, what are friends for but to get a laugh out of you once in a while." Buck slowly turned and looked out the front window of the saloon and sighed. "It looks like we may be in for a gully washer with the way those clouds are darkening up, can't say we don't need it though with as dry as it's been, too much dirt flying around, it's been getting into everything. And I mean everything." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bandana, shaking it to free it of dust before wiping his face and neck. He shook his head as the dust settled at his feet. "A nice steady rain is what we need about now."

Inez came over to the table and refilled Vin's coffee and asked "Senor Tanner what can I get you for breakfast, I have made up some fresh baking powder biscuits just this morning that will melt in your mouth or how about some nice spicy tortillas? Either are very good and sure to put some meat on your skinny bones."

Vin looked down at himself and stated "I'm not skinny; I'm lean.., how about biscuits, a steak and maybe some eggs. The tortillas sound wonderful but I'm gonna turn in after I eat and I don't want to be having anything too heavy… I wanna get a goodnight sleep."

"Okay, Senor Tanner, I'll have your breakfast for you in just a little bit" smiled Inez

"A light breakfast? I think I better go ask Mrs. Potter down at the general store if I can borrow a wheelbarrow to cart you out of here." Buck clapped him on the shoulder and stood up "Okay, I'll see you later." After looking around the room Buck walked toward the doorway leading out behind the saloon toward the outhouses "I got to see a man about a horse" he stated to the room in general.

"Thank you for that wonderful bit of news Mr. Wilmington, you don't have to announce your intentions to everyone in the room" Ezra proclaimed as he ambled down the stairway from above, straightening his cuffs and jacket along the way.

Buck waved at Ezra and continued on his way.

"A little early for you ain't it Ez?" Vin asked leaning back in his chair and straightening his legs out in front of him.

"Why Mr. Tanner aren't you chipper this morning. And yes it is early but Mother has informed me in a telegram that she will be arriving today on the afternoon stage. As you can see the weather is cooperating rather nicely, she will be utterly scandalized if she must arrive amid a torrential downpour, mores the pity." He groused as he ambled to the front door to peer out at the gathering clouds and swirling winds. "With any luck she will have changed her mind and will seek out other venues to ply her craft and leave our fair town alone." He looked down to pick at lint or dust that only he could see on his hunter green coat. "I absolutely abhor dust…ugh, it is so hard to keep anything clean."

Vin snorted and looked over at Ezra "Well Ez, I hate to tell you this but if you didn't like a little dust and dirt you should never have settled here."

Ezra held up his hand to forestall any further comment. "I did not SETTLE here, I'm just biding my time until something better comes along, and as of yet nothing has presented itself."

"Ok Ez, you keep telling yourself that, and I'll pretend that I don't know about the generous contribution you made toward the purchase of new books for the school children." Vin stated as he picked up his fork and knife and dug into the meal Inez had just put in front of him.

"That was not me and if you insist on pursuing the matter I'll have to…" Ezra stammered.

"You'll have to what…" came a voice from behind causing him to start a little. Ezra turned and came face to face with the "Man in Black" otherwise known as Chris Larabee. His honey gold blond hair and dark green eyes a stark contrast to his dark attire. He entered the saloon, his spurs ringing out clearly in the sudden silence of the room. Those same hard green eyes bored into Ezra "I thought you had patrol last night but I ran into JD this morning and he informed me that you had switched with Vin, Mind telling me why Vin pulled an extended patrol and you did not go out?" Chris took a step closer to Ezra causing him to take a step back.

Ezra swallowed hard once and looked up into Chris' glowering scowl. "Well…Mr. Larabee… You see last night…"

"I'm listening…" Chris growled. Vin hid his guffaw behind a cough and kept his eyes averted from Chris and Ezra. One pleading look from his compatriot would send him into uncontrollable laughter and then Chris would feel inclined to shoot him, friendship not withstanding.

The gambler pulled his poker face into place and squared his shoulders ready to face Larabee. "Last night I was feeling unwell and Mr. Tanner offered to take my patrol in exchange for one of his patrols in the foreseeable future. And being that I was indisposed I gratefully accepted his offer." Ezra took another step back and moved over toward Vin's table to sit down.

"What was the cause of your illness last night?" Chris asked as he folded his lean frame into the remaining chair.

"His mother" Vin muttered around a mouthful of biscuit. After washing down the rest of the biscuit with his remaining coffee he called to Inez "That was delicious, thanks for breakfast."

"My pleasure Senor Tanner, anytime" she called back from behind the bar where she was organizing the bottles.

Chris quirked one finely arched eyebrow at Vin and then turned on Ezra. "Well why didn't you just say so." Chris leaned forward in his chair to look more closely at Ezra. "Maude is coming here?" Ezra just nodded.

The last time Maude had visited she had been hiding out, though she'd never admit it, from a jilted beau who had had just about turned the town upside down looking for her after he'd realized it had all been a con.

Chris let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding and pointed a finger at Ezra "I'll be keeping my eye on her…Anything not on the level and she's on the next stage out of town. I don't need that kind of trouble here. And you better keep your nose clean too. Do you understand me?"

Ezra puffed up and stated "I always keep MY nose clean as you like to refer to it, Mr. Larabee. Any misunderstandings are strictly that, misunderstandings. And I will make sure Mother is on her best behavior"

"Be sure you do." Chris stated as an ominous rumble of thunder rolled in the distance.

Ezra's heart did a little skip "I hope that wasn't a sign" he muttered to himself. Chris and Vin both turned and looked out the window and then back at Ezra. Nothing more was said as the three peacekeepers stood up and walked toward the doorway. Once the three had exited the saloon, Chris stepped off of the walkway to head over to the jail, Vin walked down the boardwalk in the general direction of the boarding house in the hopes of getting a few hours sleep before "All Hell broke loose."

Ezra leaned up against the porch post to wait for the arrival of the stage which he knew would "with the way his luck was going" be early. It was going to be a long day. Correction, a long, wet day, as the first fat rain drops fell to earth and then the heavens opened up.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Somewhere between Ridge City and Four Corners

The stage hit another rut throwing the passengers to the far side causing them to bounce painfully off one another other. "Sorry." A short rotund man muttered as he again slid into the woman sitting next to him. A huff was his only answer as Maude Standish reached up to fix her once regal blue velvet bonnet which now sported bent and broken ostrich feathers. Her travelling dress was stained with mud and Lord knew what else. She shot the stage's other occupant a glare that could have melted ice during the coldest months.

Laughing blue eyes just stared back at her and Josiah Sanchez taunted Maude with one of his most dazzling smiles. She narrowed her eyes to slits and hissed "Have you nothing to say for yourself?"

"I told you we should wait, let the storms pass. You were the one so fired up to get out of town." He laughed and wiped at the drying mud coating his clothes. "In fact, I had every intention of waiting for the next stage. I had just arrived at Ridge City with a package for Judge Travis and had planned on enjoying the cities attractions."

"You could have stayed in Ridge City. I am no shrinking violet in need of an escort!" She sputtered before leaning out the window to yell at the driver for the umpteenth time since leaving the rail yard in the midst of a spring storm. "Do you think that you could speed these nags on their way? I would like to get to Four Corners before nightfall." The driver's response was lost on the wind.

"I am well aware of how well you can take care of yourself. Just have to ask the good citizens of Four Corners." This time the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. Josiah turned his gaze out the window his mood turning somber as he thought of the destruction that had occurred during her last visit. Several buildings had been damaged and at least one family displaced.

Maude's mouth hung open and then snapped shut as she remembered that it was just not she and Josiah. "That was not entirely my fault and this is not the proper venue for this discussion." she hissed as she nodded toward the other occupant.

Josiah looked over at the small man and asked "So what brings you to Four Corners, Mr.?"

"Burns, Magnus Burns. But everyone calls me Gus" the small man answered as he smoothed his coat front. "I'm just passing through on my way to visit my sister and her family."

"My name is Josiah Sanchez and thank you for helping to get the stage unstuck from the mud. It would have been a lot harder if you hadn't offered up."

Mr. Burns blushed to the roots of his hair and murmured "No thanks needed, I wanted to move on just as much as the lady here did." He angled a look at Maude "Sorry for landing on you when my foot got caught getting out of the stage."

Josiah let out a loud guffaw as he remembered Maude almost being crushed by Mr. Burns as he tried to catch himself as he tripped out of the stage. Mr. Burns had tried to catch himself but with his arms wind milling around he had inadvertently grabbed onto Maude and pulled her to the ground with him.

Maude sent Josiah a withering look and sighed while swiping at a hanging feather "Apology accepted though my poor hat will never be the same. It had been shipped all the way from Paris and was rather costly."

Suddenly the passengers were thrown against the side of the stage again. Josiah shifted to find a more comfortable and secure position in which to sit. "We should have waited out the storm this is getting dangerous."

Maude peered out at the pouring rain and though she was not a religious woman by any stretch of the imagination, she prayed. She prayed all the harder when lightning struck a tree up on the rise and the thunder rolled.

Mr. Burns leaned out the window and called to the driver "How much further to Four Corners?" The response was drowned out by a crack of thunder and squeal of the horses as another lightning bolt struck, this time so close that the electrical charge could be felt.

And then one of the horses lost its footing and went down and the stage lurched. The screams from the horses and the rending of wood was all that could be heard before thunder drowned them out. Then there was nothing but the silence of oblivion.


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: The Magnificent Seven and characters are the property of MGM Television, The Mirsch Corporation, Trilogy Entertainment Group and CBS. No profit has been made off of this work and I unfortunately don't own them. No copyright infringement is intended._

Chapter 3

Buck came running up from behind the saloon to stand on the porch with Ezra. "It's just a little wet out there, though I could have sworn I just saw a duck float by as I was coming up the alley." Buck hooked his thumb over his shoulder indicating the way he had come. Buck looked closer when he didn't get a response and saw the dark look on Ezra's face. Something was defiantly getting into Ezra's craw this morning. Ezra was staring up the street appearing oblivious to everything around him. Buck was going to get a reaction out of the man if it killed him. So in an effort to distract him Buck chuckled "You know you keep scowling like that and your face will stay that way. At least that's what my mother always claimed, bless her heart."

Ezra just straightened up from the porch post and wandered back into the saloon without saying a word. "You need to get yourself a woman!" Buck yelled over his shoulder as he jumped off the porch and made a mad dash across the street to the jail where he knew there would be hot coffee and a warm fire waiting.

"I don't need a woman right now. That would just compound my problems." Ezra muttered to the empty interior of the saloon. He half turned back toward the door. "Carnal relations do not solve every problem Mr. Wilmington!" He threw back out the doorway at Buck's retreating figure. Ezra sighed, his posture slumping and with his feet seeming to weigh thirty pounds each, shuffled over to his regular card table. He tiredly pulled out the chair and flopped into it. "What have I done to deserve this?" He reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a well used deck of cards to play a mind numbing game of solitaire.

Buck burst into the jail and came face to face with the business end of Chris' revolver. "Jesus Buck! You scared the shit out of me! That's a good way to get shot." He re-holstered his weapon, stalked to the back of the jail to grab a towel to clean up the coffee that was now spilled all over the floor.

"Sorry, didn't know you were here, I thought you would have started rounds." Buck perched his hip on the edge of the desk and watched Chris try and sop up the spilled coffee, his movements jerky as he tried to get his anger under control.

Chris stopped in mid-swipe to level a glare at Buck. "Are you going to help or are you just going to sit there and watch?" Buck stared back at Chris with a blank expression, though it was difficult to keep a straight face when Chris was turning so red. "Hey, you caused this mess, grab a towel and give me a hand."

Buck gave up trying to remain stoic and just grinned ear to ear. "You look like you got everything under control. You don' need my help." Buck simpered. Green eyes narrowed and Buck stood up to get a towel. "All you had to do was ask, Stud." Buck laughed and bent over to help clean up the coffee.

Chris threw the towel into the corner and took a seat behind the desk. He pulled out the recently delivered "WANTED" posters and began to thumb through them. Buck cleaned up the towels and went about making another pot of coffee. The silence was only broken by the occasional rumble of thunder. After one particularly long bout of thunder that seemed to cause the walls and floor of the jail to reverberate Buck stated, "Storm's gettin' closer, won't be long now and it'll be like the 4th of July."

Chris leaned back in the chair to contemplate the weather outside. "You know with as dry as it's been the ground is rock hard. We got a good chance for flash floods if it keeps up like this and I'm worried that with as fast as this storm came up that some innocent folk make get caught unaware." A full coffee mug clunked down on the desk in front of him. "After rounds I might ride out and check the area just to be sure."

"Everything will be okay, you just wait. This storm will roll on through and that sun will be right back out again to dry everything out." Buck perched his hip back on the desk corner and took a sip of his coffee. "Ah, that's some GOOOOD coffee if I do say so myself. Now drink up before you spill it again." Buck gave him his biggest, goofiest smile and Chris, who had just been taking a sip of the coffee choked.

As he was choking all Chris could think of was how it was Buck's fault the first pot of coffee had covered the floor and the second was _"I really need to breathe here."_

ThankfullyBuck realized his distress and leaned over to beat him soundly on the back. "Careful there Stud, I hate to have to tell everyone that 'The Great Chris Larabee' was taken out by a coffee bean."

Gasping for breath Chris pushed back from the desk and shakily stood up. Coughing, he grabbed up his hat and duster, told Buck where he could stick his coffee and stepped out to complete his rounds of the town. Buck ran over to the door and stuck his head out yelling. "I was only trying to help." Chris stopped and glared over his shoulder at Buck. "Ok…I'll hold down the fort here. You go make sure the town's not floating away." Smiling and waving Buck stepped back into the welcoming warmth of the jail. "It's not fit for man or beast out there, I got me a nice warm fire, fresh coffee and ooh lookey here a nice fresh apple muffin." Just as Buck went to break apart the muffin Chris Larabee stepped back into the office, walked over to the desk, promptly appropriated the muffin, turned and walked back out without a word.

"He just took my muffin without so much as a by your leave." Buck shook his head and picked up his coffee. "The nerve of some people, can't leave there mitts off of other people's property."

Chris Larabee strode down the boardwalk his spurs ringing out with each step and his duster billowing out behind him like a large black cape. He would have looked ominous if at that particular moment he hadn't been stuffing a muffin in his mouth. Buck has some nerve. First he tries to scare him to death, then choke him with coffee and finally starve him by swiping his muffin. With the storm and everything else going on, Maude's coming to town was going to be the icing on the proverbial cake. He hoped he'd live to see tomorrow or at the very least make it through the day with as little pain as possible.

His right shoulder ached every time he thought back to the last time Maude had been in town. She had come to Four Corners to hide out from a con gone badly and the town and everyone else had suffered because of it. She had shown up on the stage and had come to him pleading for sanctuary. "Mr. Larabee you have to understand I am the victim here, I can not be held responsible for Mr. Cohen's financial misfortune. He was under no obligation to take my advice" Maude was sitting in the lobby of the Ritz Hotel dabbing at tears that Chris believed to be as genuine as the diamond rings gracing her delicate fingers. Maude cried a good game but he could see right through her tainted heart. She was only interested in her own personal gain and did not care who she stepped on to get what she wanted.

Cohen had attracted Chris' attention at the livery as soon as he and his "gang" had ridden past. The rancor had poured off of the group in waves and Chris knew in his heart that this would not end well. J.D. had been standing in front of the jailhouse when Cohen had stopped and approached him. "I'm looking for that Southern Whore Maude Standish. Me and my boys followed her all the way from Tucson." He sneered, crowding close to J.D. in the hopes of intimidating him. Cohen stood at least six foot tall and appeared to be made of solid muscle. His clothing spoke of wealth and he had no problems with displaying it. He looked up and down the street and sniffed. "Don't know why she'd run to this backwater town though, doesn't seem to suit her taste."

J.D. threw out his chest and brought himself to his full height, he may be shorter but he was not about to be bullied in "his" town. "Ms. Standish is under our protection and until you can prove any wrong doing it would be in your best interest to move on."

Cohen looked J.D. up and down with disdain "Listen boy, the business between me and the conniving bitch is just that. Between me and the WHORE!" Cohen jabbed his finger into J.D.'s chest and growled "All I want to know from you is where she is. Me and my boys can take care of it from there."

Chris and Nathan had been working their way up to the jail when they noticed the group stop to talk to J.D. "I think we got trouble." Nathan stated as he picked up his pace to reach the jail. "Where are the others?" Chris reached out a hand and touched Nathan's arm. Nathan reluctantly slowed down some.

"We don't want to spook these boys; I'd like to try to get out of this with as little blood shed as possible." Chris stated as he nodded to Buck and Josiah who had taken up a position just slightly away from the jail. "Ezra's at the hotel with his mother and Vin is…ah…in the alley between the bank and undertaker's." Vin held up three fingers indicating to Chris and Nathan that he had three of them in his sights.

Nathan and Chris stopped in the street near Watson's Hardware which was conveniently located across the street from the jail. "How many did you say had ridden in?" Nathan whispered acting like he was interested in the farming implements on display out front.

Chris slid a quick glance over to the front of the jail and inwardly tensed. There were only three men in front of the building_. "Where are the other three?"_ he asked himself. Doing a quick mental inventory he reported to Nathan, "A total of six rode in and we need to find the others. The three missing are of about average height, dirty and unkempt. One's wearing a red bandana and a slouch hat, another is wearing a gray duster, and the last one, a green serape. You won't be able to miss 'em since they got _"Bad News"_ written all over 'em." Nathan nodded and was about to try and get Josiah's attention when he heard Cohen raise his voice again.

Without warning guns had been drawn and everyone had started yelling; above the confusion Nathan heard a woman scream, "No J.D.!" and he turned, his heart going cold, realizing that Casey was running up the street toward the jail, toward danger.

And then seemingly in slow motion one of Cohen's men turned and fired right at her. Nathan felt as if his movements seemed to be hindered by some unknown force. He knew he would be unable to reach her in time when the form of Chris Larabee suddenly crossed his field of vision and the young woman was tackled to the ground. The sound of gun fire reverberated throughout the street deafening all within earshot and then as quick as it had begun there was silence. Well not exactly silence Nathan thought, more like he was so focused that only certain sounds were reaching him. He could hear his heartbeat. He could hear Cohen moaning in pain and he could hear the hiccupping gasps coming from Casey a few feet away.

J.D. kept his guns trained on Cohen as Vin ran up and kicked the weapons away from the men laying on the ground. Vin checked each man over before standing up and stating "One's dead, two wounded."

Vin looked up the street to see Ezra walking down toward the jail with one of the missing men from the group. "Ez, we got two missing still," Vin called. Ezra smirked and stated, "Have no fear my dear Mr. Tanner. I, Ezra P. Standish, have helped save the day. The other two miscreants are secured in a closet awaiting retrieval." He pushed his prisoner forward with his gun when he would have stopped. "The hotel manager has agreed most whole heartedly to guard them until someone can come and get them."

"Nathan! I need your help over here!" Buck yelled from where he was kneeling next to Casey and Chris. Nathan turned and dropped down to one knee to help Chris sit up. "Are you okay?" he asked taking in Chris' pale features.

"Ah…Shit…sorry. Guess I zigged when I should have zagged" Chris groaned reaching for his right shoulder with a shaking hand. He felt nauseous but would be damned if he was going to vomit in the street in front of everyone. He leaned forward and tried to pull his feet under him.

"Stay still. Let me take a look at it!" Nathan hollered as Chris tried to push him away.

"Let me up! You can take care of it in my room, it's closer than the clinic." As he stood and swayed Buck grabbed his good elbow, "don't touch me." Chris hissed. "I've got it. If you must you can walk with me, but I've got it." And he stumbled in the direction of the boarding house.

"Make sure he gets there, I've got to get some things from the clinic, but I need to check these out first." Nathan stated gesturing to Cohen and his wounded men. "I shouldn't be long. Make sure he stays quiet and lies down."

Ezra stepped out of the jail after securing his prisoner and asked Josiah to help him bring down the other two. Vin and J.D. were standing guard over the wounded men as Nathan checked them over. "You can go ahead and take them inside. I'll bring a few things from the clinic to patch them up." Nathan sighed as he stood up and wiped off his hands. Vin and J.D. ushered the prisoners inside with the shaken Casey trailing along behind them.

"How ya doin' there?" Buck asked as he helped Chris take off his duster and shirt. Chris's gasps were making him hurt, "you can yell if you want, might make you feel better." Chris was covered in sweat by the time the clothing had been removed and was shaking like a leaf in high wind. "At least it looks like the bullet went through, that ought to make you feel a little better. Nathan won't have to root around in there to get it out."

If possible Chris paled even more. He sucked in a shaky breath and looked up at Buck. "I know you're trying to help, but please, please, stop talking. My stomach isn't cooperating right now and I really, really don't want to vomit." He groaned as he swallowed down the gorge that had suddenly risen to the back of his throat. _"Just breathe through your nose and everything will be okay." _He said to himself over and over again.

"It doesn't look sooo bad, Nathan'll fix you up right as rain." Buck chatted as he applied pressure to the wound to slow the bleeding. _"Just breathe through…."_ Chris made a choking sound and clapped a hand over his mouth. Buck snatched up the bucket that he had grabbed on their way to the room and pushed it into Chris' lap.

"Okay, that's just horrible." Buck groaned as Chris' retched over and over again into the bucket. Buck grabbed another cloth and wet it, took the bucket from Chris's trembling hands and gave him the cloth to wipe his face.

"Thanks." Chris groaned and lay back on the bed. "I feel like shit…Nathan say when he was coming? Jesus, I don't remember it hurting this bad the last time I was shot."

Buck patted him on his good shoulder. "Nathan will be here before you know it. Just try and rest."

Nathan charged up the stairs with the medical supplies he'd gathered back at the clinic. Before he had a chance to grab the door handle Buck met him in the doorway. Nathan noticed Buck's worried gaze and asked "How's he doin'?"

"Been complaining that it hurts more than it should," Buck replied as he watched Nathan move to the bedside and pull out the items he'd need to clean the wound.

Chris groaned and tried to move away as Nathan started cleaning his shoulder. "Stay still I need to take a look, you were lucky, there's an exit wound. I don't have to dig." Nathan looked over at Buck. "Hold him up for me and I'll tie this bandage in place."

A crack of thunder brought Chris out of his musings. He blinked and looked around, realizing that he'd been standing in front of bank for sometime. Unconsciously he reached up and rubbed at his aching shoulder. Shaking his head he resumed his walk and wondered what reason Maude had for coming to Four Corners this time.


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: The Magnificent Seven and characters are the property of MGM Television, The Mirsch Corporation, Trilogy Entertainment Group and CBS. No profit has been made off of this work and I unfortunately don't own them. No copyright infringement is intended._

Chapter 4

Later that morning Chris had glanced through the window as he'd been walking by the jail and what he had seen had made him do a double take. There was Buck. Feet propped on the desk, leaning back in the chair, head tilted back at an impossible angle and his mouth hanging wide open. This is too good to pass up he thought to himself as he grasped the door knob and pushed the door open. The door bounced off the wall with enough force to rattle the windows without shattering them. "Look out!" he called at the top of his lungs. Buck jumped in surprise, jerking his feet off the desk too quickly causing him to upset the precarious balance he had with the chair. Chair legs slipped on the worn wooden floor boards sending it and Buck to the ground.

"I interrupt your nap?" Chris chuckled as he entered the room to get a fresh cup of coffee. Buck looked up at him owlishly from the floor. "I guess I did. You need to spend more time sleeping in the bed instead of pirooting with your latest lady friend."

Buck picked himself and the chair up off the floor. "Pull in your horns Larabee." He groused. "I was just resting my eyes. There's nothing goin' on right now anyway."

"Well be that as it may, I'm gonna ride out and check the area. Just want to make sure no one is caught out there." Chris informed Buck as he rinsed out the coffee mug and threw the dregs outside.

"Are you plumb loco?" Buck stammered "As if you hadn't noticed it's raining cats and dogs out there. You yourself said you were concerned about flash floods. It's not safe."

Chris walked back to the door and stopped with his hand on the knob. "I've got to at least check, what if there's someone out there in trouble? Someone's got to go. For my peace of mind, I've got to go."

Buck reached for his coat "I'll go with you. Someone's got to watch your back." Chris shook his head. "No Buck, I need you to stay here, keep the town safe, keep the townspeople safe. Maude has told Ezra that she's coming in on the afternoon stage. I have no idea if this is just a social call or if she's runnin' again. I need to know that the town is safe, please, stay in town."

"Alright I'll stay but I'm not happy about it. This weather is dangerous and I still think you should wait, but I will abide by your wishes." Buck grumbled as he sank back into the chair.

"I won't be gone too long." Chris smiled and walked out the door.

Nathan looked up as another lightning bolt lit up the room. He'd spent the morning organizing his stores and had planned to stop by and see Mrs. Potter later today. She had just gotten in a new shipment of medical supplies that the town needed and he was eager to collect them. Nathan grabbed up his hat and coat and set out to brave the elements to Mrs. Potter's store. Halfway down the stairs he was beginning to think that maybe he should have just stayed put; the wind had picked up and the rain was already working itself into his clothing.

The creak of leather and the jingle of a bridle brought Nathan's head up as he reached the bottom of the stairway. "You have somewhere important to be?" Nathan asked as he watched Chris mount Pony in the livery yard.

Chris leaned over to hear Nathan better over the din of the rain and wind. "What?" he asked as the rain water poured from the brim of his hat.

Nathan stepped closer hunching his shoulders against the rain. "Where are you going?" he shouted.

"Just gonna ride out a little ways, make sure everything's okay." He shouted to be heard over a rumble of thunder. "I'll be back soon." He sat up and coaxed Pony out of the yard and up the street before Nathan could say anymore.

Nathan shook his head and ran to the relatively dry boardwalk. "That fool doesn't have the sense the Lord gave a goose, gonna catch pneumonia and then I'll be stuck with his ornery hide."

Chris had started by checking the south and west sides of town finding nothing out of the ordinary. There were a couple areas that had flooded but nothing worth worrying about at this time. Chris halted Pony trying to decide on what would be the next best course of action. Pony huffed out a breath and tossed his head. "Sorry boy, we'll be goin' in soon." Chris soothed as he leaned forward to pat the horse's neck. He reached up to pull his coat tighter about his neck. Over the last fifteen minutes an annoying stream of water had been working its way off the back of his hat, into the neck of his coat, and under his shirt to run down between his shoulder blades. As he made up his mind to continue on with this daunting task he urged Pony on. The mud was getting deeper and slicker, pulling at Pony's legs without remorse. Chris knew Pony was tiring and leaned forward in the saddle to rub between his ears. "I'll make you a deal boy. You get me through the storm and I get you a treat good enough to make the other horses jealous." Pony's ears just flicked back and forth. "Alright, how about a good long rub down too." Pony's ears stayed turned to him this time. "Sorry bud that's all you get. You're one lucky son of gun; I don't get a nice rub down at the end of a ride. The only thing I'm getting is a wet ass." He chuckled.

He turned Pony toward Ms. Nettie's to check on her and Casey. It wasn't until he had ridden up in the yard and seen J.D.'s horse that he'd remembered the youth telling him that he'd stop by here on his morning patrol.

He watched as the front door opened on the quaint cabin and a gray haired woman stepped out carrying a rifle with J.D. hot on her heels. Chris could hear J.D.'s excited voice "Ms. Nettie come back here and let me check it out first, it may not be safe."

"Young man I've been taking care of myself since before you were born and even longer before that. I know how to handle myself." Nettie's voice rang out with her usual pure cussedness. She lowered her rifle when she recognized the drowned rat riding towards her cabin. "Chris Larabee get your scrawny hind end in this house. Are you trying to catch your death?

"No ma'am" Chris said as he dismounted from Pony with a muddy splash. "I most assuredly am not." He trudged over to the porch steps, his boots making sucking noises in the mud.

Ms. Nettie cocked an eyebrow at him as he came up the stairs with rain pouring off his hat and the end of his nose. "Leave your boots by the door. I'm trying to keep the house clean." She grumbled good naturedly as she set her rifle on the by the door and trundled into the kitchen area to get a mug to fill with coffee. She eyed Chris up and down as he came in through the door shucking off his coat and hat that were creating a large puddle on the floor boards under his feet. Despite having worn the hat his hair was plastered to his head causing the wheat colored locks to darken. Casey handed him a towel that she had picked up; with a sheepish look he accepted the towel to dry his dripping hair. Once his hair was dry to his satisfaction he used the towel to sop up the puddle he'd made in the entry way. Nettie sighed as she took in his bedraggled form. "Grab that seat by the fire and set a spell. You look about half drowned and frozen to boot." She followed him over to the fire and watched as he eased himself into the chair. "You should have stayed in town somewhere nice and dry. I appreciate all you do, unfortunately many in this town will not give a second thought to your good intentions."

Chris thanked her as he took the mug of coffee she had poured. He wrapped both hands around the mug to soak up its comforting warmth. "So how are things out this way?" he asked turning the conversation away from himself. She sighed and pulled another chair up to the fire and sank gratefully into it.

"We're just fine. J.D. helped us get ready for the storm and as long as it let's up soon we should be okay." She smiled looking over to where Casey and J.D. were playing checkers at the table. "He's an upstanding young man and one day he'll go far."

"Yes" Chris agreed. "He's matured over the last two years. He's someone I could ride the river with."

"I'm glad to hear you say that. You boys have done a lot for this town." She said as she leaned over to pat his knee and pulled herself up out of the chair. "Now you stay by the fire and warm your bones. I've got to start supper. You're welcome to stay if you'd like."

"Unfortunately I can't stay for supper but I'll stay until I finish my coffee. Your hospitality is always appreciated." Chris stated as he sipped at the rich brew.

All too soon he had finished his coffee and though tempted to ask for another he knew he had to be moving on. He pulled himself wearily from the comfortable chair and began the task of putting back on his soggy boots in order to go back into the stormy weather when J.D. called out. "Wait Chris. I'll go with you. I need to be heading out myself." He grabbed his hat and coat off the hook by the door and prepared to follow Chris out. "Thanks for lunch Ms. Nettie. I'll stop by later in the week to help you around the cabin." He waved at Casey as he turned toward the door. "Thanks for the game of checkers. It was fun." Casey and Nettie followed the two men out onto the porch. "Be careful." Casey called as the two peacekeepers rode out. J.D. and Chris waved back in acknowledgement.

A short time later as Chris and J.D. urged their floundering mounts up a short rise they saw the afternoon stage headed toward town. Hey could hear the driver yelling at the team as he pushed them through the rain and mud. The horses, stage and driver were so completely coated in mud that you were barely able to tell where one ended and the other began.

"Stage is running a little early, looks like they're pushing it." J.D. commented and then jerked in the saddle when a lightning bolt struck near by. "That was too close, don't know about you but I'm ready to call it a day."

Chris was about to agree with J.D. when he saw one of the stage horses falter and go down. "Come on!" he yelled at J.D. and pushed Pony to a lope afraid to push any faster with as slick as the ground was. In impossibly slow motion he watched as the stage tilted, seemed to right I itself before going over on its side and sliding over the embankment. One horse was laying motionless on the road still in its traces. The other was at a full gallop toward the town limits.

Chris pulled back hard on the reins causing Pony to sit on his haunches. He quickly dismounted and slipped and slid down the embankment toward the splintered stage. The stage was lying on its side so Chris reached up to pull himself up onto the side.

"Driver's dead!" J.D. yelled from below him.

"Ok. Wait there a minute." Chris huffed and he struggled to yank the door open. He looked in hoping for the best but preparing himself for the worst.

"Oh thank you Lord." came a distinctly female voice from the dark interior of the stage "Please, get me out of here." Maude Standish's mud spattered face came into view as Chris reached in to grasp the hand she was extending.

"Are you injured?" Chris asked as he started to pull her from the splintered wreck. He tried valiantly to keep the look of foreboding off of his face as he came face to face with Maude. This woman was becoming the bane of his existence, couldn't she arrive in town like normal people did. Why did her arrival always have to coincide with some type of calamity? "I'm getting too old for this." He thought to himself.

Maude frowned up at him for a moment trying to read the emotions on his face. From the emotions flitting across his face Chris Larabee was most definitely not happy to see her. "No, just my pride, please just get me out of here." She pleaded and reached up to wrap her free arm around his neck.

Maude's movements pulled Chris off balance and they both tumbled off the side of the stage into the mud and the muck below. Maude tried to push herself up out of the mud but it was too slippery and she just slid further back into the mud tangling her skirts around Chris Larabee's legs. She was starting to feel trapped and breathing with a corset was difficult as it was. Suddenly she was having trouble getting air and started thrashing around in earnest; grabbing onto to anything that felt solid to get up. "Ms. Standish, Maude, calm down. Everything is going to be okay." Chris choked out pulling her arms free of his neck and untangling his legs from her voluminous skirts. "J.D. take her up to the road while I check on the others."

J.D. grasped Maude's elbow and helped her to stand up. She wiped at the hair falling lankly in her face and followed J.D. Chris was pulling himself back up onto the stage as they haltingly made their way up the embankment.

Chris was pulling his leg up as a head popped out of the doorway, surprising him. He squinted through the rain and realized that he was face to face with Josiah. "I didn't think you were coming back until later in the week?" He asked as he helped his friend struggle out of the opening. He noticed Josiah had a gash in his forehead and was favoring his side. "You ok?"

Josiah coughed and groaned. "Think I may have busted some ribs, at least it that's what it feels like." Josiah groaned again as he moved to get down.

"Hold on Josiah, let me help you get down." Chris jumped over the side of the stage first and worked with Josiah to negotiate his way down. "J.D.! I need you to lend a hand!" He called up from below.

J.D. peered down over the side of the embankment. "Be right there, let me get a rope, it's gotten really slick."

"Chris there's still another passenger, Gus. He's unconscious, I don't know what's wrong with him." Josiah groaned as his strength started to give out and he slid down along the stage into the mud.

"You gonna be okay if I go back up? Chris asked running a shaking hand through his hair, the adrenaline rush fading away.

Josiah gave a small smile. "I'm fine, a few busted ribs, nothing that won't heal." He grasped Chris's forearm. "Don't worry about me, J.D.'s back and he'll give me a hand." Josiah continued as J.D. slid to a stop beside them.

"Wow, Josiah that's some goose egg, you ok?" J.D. asked peering up at Josiah through the rain. J.D. wiped at the rain that was dripping off his lashes into his eyes and pulled his coat closer around him.

"Fine, Fine. Help me to get up to the road and then help Chris with Gus. I'm going to be useless with these busted ribs." Josiah moaned as he struggled to stand back up. Chris grabbed him under one arm and J.D. the other. Between the two of them they managed to get Josiah to his feet.

"You got him?" Chris asked as J.D. turned Josiah toward the embankment. The embankment wasn't too steep but with the rain the grasses had become slippery making it difficult to negotiate.

"Yeah, we're okay, I'll be back before you know it." J.D. nodded affirmative to Chris.

Chris sighed and turned toward the wreck. He pulled himself up once again and peered down into the interior gloom of the stage. He leaned in further trying to see Gus, among the shadows. He strained to hear any noise; he prayed to hear some kind of noise. When nothing was forth coming he sat up and shucked off his coat and hat. The rain soaked him through in moments and more lightning flashed a second before the crack of thunder. "Please, can't you give me a break, just for a minute?" he cried up to the heavens.

Chris lowered himself slowly into the stage being careful not to step upon the body sprawled below. He knelt beside Gus and placed two shaking fingers on the clammy skin. He couldn't feel a pulse and snatched his hand away. He took a breath and held it, reached forward and felt for a pulse again. This time he felt a pulse, weak though it was. "Gus, Gus can you hear me?" he asked to the unresponsive form next to him. There was no answer only a roaring noise that seemed to be increasing in magnitude. The stage started to shutter and shake. "Oh shit!" was all he could get out before debris filled water poured in from above and the stage lurched and gave a sickening move. The power of the water cascading down threatened to push him to the bottom of the stage.

With strength pulled from his reserves he reached down and pulled Gus's limp body up beside him. The stage was filling with water and if he couldn't get himself and Gus out they were going to drown and as far as he was concerned that was unacceptable. "J.D.!" Chris yelled at the top of his lungs praying that the young man was close by. As he went to call out again the stage lurched once more and his foot slipped causing him to fall beneath the water. Coughing, he pulled Gus and himself back above the water which was quickly reaching the top of the stage. "J.D.!" he coughed out again but was unsure if he could be heard over the rushing water.

Realizing that he was quite possibly on his own he took a deep breath and dropped down into the murky water to push Gus up and out of the stage from below. Only by pure luck did Gus remain on the side of the stage as Chris struggled to pull himself free of the interior. As he climbed out he looked around to see angry water rushing around them on all sides just brushing the top. If the water level rose anymore they would be swept away with everything else.

"Chris,.Chris!" J.D. yelled as loudly as he could; trying to get Chris's attention. The stage had moved about seventy-five feet further away than before the flash flood had made its untimely appearance.

Chris tiredly looked in the direction the voice was coming from and signaled that he was okay. "Jesus, I'm tired." He moaned and began trying to figure out how he was going to get Gus and himself out of their current predicament.

He looked up again when he heard J.D. and Josiah yelling for him. "I've got the rope. You can tie it around yourselves and we'll pull you out." J.D. yelled above the roar of the water.

Chris reached down and grabbed Gus by his coat and pushed him over the side of the stage. Chris followed him into the water and started dragging Gus toward the embankment. As they neared the embankment Gus started to struggle and the grip Chris had on him slipped. "Stay still." Chris hissed into Gus's ear and struggled to the bank with Gus in tow.

J.D. threw a rope down to the two and yelled. "Chris, grab the rope and I'll pull you up."

Chris grabbed for the rope and tied it around Gus. "Go J.D.!" Chris yelled and pushed as J.D. pulled with Maude's and Josiah's assistance. Chris grabbed on to roots that were in embedded in the side of the embankment. He was so tired that his muscles were trembling uncontrollably. As he held on he heard a rushing noise and wondered if it was in his mind. He dragged his heavy head up and tried to focus his eyes.

The next thing Chris knew his tired body was being painfully pummeled by pounding water, tree limbs and other storm run off. One particularly large limb struck him in the temple causing an explosion of stars to erupt before his eyes. He lethargically pushed the limb away amid the uncomfortable feeling of skin being torn by the sharp branches that were rushing by. He held on for as long as he could and as his grip was slipping he felt someone grab his hand.

"Hold on Chris. I've got you, hold on." J.D. yelled as he grabbed at Chris. J.D. looked up behind him and yelled "Ok. I've got him, pull!" Maude and Josiah pulled for all they were worth until J.D. and Chris were on drier ground.

Josiah sank to the ground next to Gus and let out a long groan. Chris had not moved so J.D. leaned over and tapped Chris on the face. "Chris, Chris are you ok?"

Chris groaned and tried to turn over. Everything seemed garbled and was going in and out of focus. He was sure he was going to vomit. As he pushed to straighten his arms in order to get up, the ground came up to meet him and he knew nothing more.


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: The Magnificent Seven and characters are the property of MGM Television, The Mirsch Corporation, Trilogy Entertainment Group and CBS. No profit has been made off of this work and I unfortunately don't own them. No copyright infringement is intended._

Chapter 5

"Chris!" J.D. yelled as Chris collapsed face first into the mud. He quickly grasped Chris's shoulder and pulled him over onto his back to keep him from drowning. J.D. wiped at the mud coating his unconscious friend's face and gingerly felt through his hair looking for any injuries. He noticed a large lump forming behind Chris's left ear and when he pulled his fingers back they were coated in blood.

Maude stood up from where she had been kneeling next to Gus and Josiah and trudged over to where J.D. was tending to Chris. "Mr. Dunne I've been thinking while I was assisting Messers Sanchez and Burns that someone ought to go for help. Out of those of us left unscathed you, sir, I believe are the more accomplished rider." She stated as she sat as gracefully as she could on the muddy ground. "I do not know if it has escaped your notice but we are all soaked to the skin and covered in mud. It is not the healthiest of situations to be caught in especially since it appears that the temperature is dropping."

As soon as everyone's been checked over I'll ride out to get Nathan and the others." J.D. answered as he continued to check Chris over for injuries. "There's a couple deep cuts but it looks as if his head may be the worst of it." He told Maude as he stood up and made his way over to the horses. He grabbed his and Chris's bedrolls and trudged a little way to a small stand of trees. Maude saw what he was doing and made her way over to help.

"Is there anything I can do?" she asked J.D as she neared the tree line.

"I'm going to tie this canvass between these two trees to make a something like a shelter. Can you spread some of these blankets out under it and I'll drag Chris and Mr. Burns over here out of the mud?" J.D. huffed as he secured the ropes holding the canvass.

"Most assuredly; shame the wood's too wet for a fire. Ah, it probably wouldn't stay lit with the rain anyway." She murmured as she spread out the blankets beneath the canvass. She put two blankets to the side to be used for warmth. She lifted her gaze from the task before her when she heard raised voices. What she saw caused her to raise her gaze to the heavens and pray for understanding and compassion. She raised her ruined skirts and made her way as cautiously as she could back to the others and the loud disagreement stirring between Josiah and J.D.

"I can ride, ribs aren't that bad." Josiah groused and reached for Pony's reins.

J.D. reached forward to snatch the reins from Josiah. "No way, all I need is for you to drive a rib into one of your lungs and you die on the way for help."

"Gentlemen, please be aware that while you are quarreling Mr. Larabee and Mr. Burns are laying in the mud? Mr. Sanchez will stay here and help me. Mr. Dunne, will ride to town to procure aid." Maude stood there with her arms crossed over her chest and rain dripping off of her nose and chin. She had not yet noticed the tracks running down her face from the light face powder she wore and the rain mixing together. "So if you have nothing else of use to contribute I suggest you get the lead out boys; let's get these men under cover."

Josiah and J.D. stared at Maude in awe. "Ma'am, are you okay?" Josiah asked as Maude stood there taping her foot in the mud. "No disrespect meant but I thought you, like Ezra, did not do menial labor?"

Maude harrumphed. "If I do not assist you I will not get to town any faster. I want to get out of this rain, muck and cold. This is not what I paid for when I purchased my fare and mark my words; the stage company will be compensating me for my lost property and inconvenience." She tossed a blanket at J.D. and he caught it before it hit the ground. "Now if that tirade makes you feel more comfortable we've got work to do. Move it!"

J.D. couldn't stop chuckling as he rolled Mr. Burns onto the blanket and with Maude's assistance manhandled him to the shelter. "Hopefully, Chris will be lighter." J.D. huffed as Maude gathered up the blanket and slogged back over to where Josiah and Chris were.

Josiah was speaking quietly to Chris who appeared to have regained consciousness. Chris had an arm flung over his eyes and the other hand had a death grip on Josiah's forearm. "Just take deep breaths, it will pass." Chris only groaned in response and tried to curl up on his side.

"Josiah what's wrong?" J.D. asked with concern.

"Well that tree branch scattered his chickens when it wacked him upside the head and he's feeling mighty poorly at the moment." Josiah answered as he rubbed Chris's shoulder. "We'll give him a few moments before movin' him."

"Oh, well maybe I should wait to head out." J.D. surmised.

"No." came three distinct voices.

Chris groaned and slowly levered himself to a seated position. "Go on J.D., go get help. We need to get to town and get out of the weather."

"Alright, if that's what you want me to do?" J.D. finally acquiesced.

A few moments later J.D. had mounted up and was riding Hell bent for leather to town. Maude reached down to help Chris as he struggled to keep his legs under him. He leaned heavily on Maude as she tried to steer him to the lean-to. Josiah offered his arm for balance but his ribs prevented him from doing more.

As they neared the shelter Chris suddenly spun away from them and dropped to his knees to vomit violently into the mud. Soon his stomach muscles contorted painfully with dry heaves which brought tears to his eyes. He groaned then gasped as the dry heaves started again threatening to turn his stomach inside out. Stars flashed before his eyes and there was a ringing in his ears. As the dry heaves finally started to pass he became aware of someone rubbing his back between the shoulder blades. "Thanks" he mumbled as he tentatively pushed himself to a standing position.

"You're welcome" Maude smiled and handed him a slightly rumpled handkerchief.

Chris looked down at the small lace square in his hand and held it back out to her.

Maude reached out and pushed his fingers closed over the handkerchief. "Use it, It's the least I can offer for saving my life, again." She handed him a canteen she had picked up and said, "You may want to wash your mouth out first though." Chris gave her a half smile and handed the canteen back when he was through.

The three completed their trek to the shelter and sat down to await the arrival of the others. As they sat there trembling from the cold Maude began regaling those who wished to listen to tales from back east. Occasionally Josiah would let out a quiet laugh, in deference to Chris's headache, when something amused him. Of course each time he laughed his ribs protested and the laugh would end in a groan and he'd try to take small breaths over the next few moments while trying not to move and upset his ribs more.

Chris just sat there with his forehead resting on his knees content to just listen or drift with no thoughts at all. His head pounded with each beat of his heart and the vice like grip it had on his temples seemed to increase with each passing moment.

Mr. Burns had just started coming around when the jostling of wagon wheels could be heard in the distance. "What happened?" he shouted at the top of his lungs and bolted to a sitting position. Josiah and Maude grimaced and Chris, who clapped his hands over his ears.

Chris sent the infamous death glare at Mr. Burns as he tried to calm the pounding in his skull. "Shut up!" he hissed. Gus shrank back into his coat and turned away from the fire burning in the green depths of Chris Larabee's eyes.

"Gus, everything is okay. Forgive Mr. Larabee, he has a humdinger of a headache. We're presently waiting for help to arrive in order to get to town." Josiah stated softly as he watched Maude get up and stride out of the shelter.

Maude strained to see who was coming up the road through the rain. She counted one wagon and three horses and riders. As the group drew closer she recognized Ezra. She leveled a stare at her son as he pulled up beside her.

Ezra gave her a wide mouthed smile that showed off his gold tooth and stated. "Mother, you surely know how to make an entrance."


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: The Magnificent Seven and characters are the property of MGM Television, The Mirsch Corporation, Trilogy Entertainment Group and CBS. No profit has been made off of this work and I unfortunately don't own them. No copyright infringement is intended._

Chapter 6

Nathan pulled the wagon up to the tree line that held the small shelter, set the brake and jumped down. He slipped in the mud and grabbed hold of the side of the wagon before he could be claimed by the goopy mess. After righting himself he pulled a rather large leather satchel from under the wagon seat grunting with its weight.

"Uh Oh, Nathan's brought out the heavy artillery." Buck joked as he noticed that everyone was sitting up and not laid out flat. He picked his way through the mud up to the shelter in the trees. He looked down at a bedraggled Chris Larabee and smirked. "Hey Stud, I thought you were planning on doing the rescuing not the other way round. If you wanted some down time there are better and less painful ways to do it."

Chris squinted up at him from under his matted hair and stated "If there weren't a lady present I'd tell you where to go and what you could do."

Vin squatted down next to Chris and looked him over. "How you doin'?" he asked with sincerity.

Chris sighed and lightly touched the lump behind his ear. "To tell you the truth I feel like I've been trounced by a herd of buffalo." He sat there for a moment before holding up two fingers, "Twice. Coming and going." He wiped ineffectually at his once black attire now covered in mud and river runoff.

"Listen. I'll give Pony a good rub down when we get back to town, you look about done in." Vin stated and patted Chris on the back. "Oh and by the way the storm's letting up; it's just sprinkling back in town." He looked over his shoulder where the battered stage could be seen over the embankment. Vin turned back to Chris who was looking at him through hooded eyes. "J.D. told me about the driver and the horse. Buck, Ezra and I will take care of 'em. See the driver gets a proper burial and notify his family if he's got any."

"Thanks Vin, knew I could count on you and the boys." Chris huffed and with great difficulty got to his hands and knees. He was determined to stand up under his own power even though everything was spinning like a dust devil and his innards that were rumbling inside suddenly wanted to be outside.

"Whoa there Stud, take it easy, let Nate take a good look at you first." Buck exclaimed as he and Vin caught Chris as he slumped to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. He looked up at them lethargically.

Chris made a hiccupping sound and Vin jumped yelling, "Look out!" But it was too late, Chris vomited what remained of his morning muffin all down Buck's front creating a wet, sticky mess. Chris grasped at Buck's trembling shoulder until the unsettledness passed. Vin watched helplessly and could not help but screw up his nose. Chris was his friend and friends helped friends, but damn! Buck had it covered this time so who was he to intervene? "And Ugh. I'm sorry Cowboy you got dealt a bad hand with that one. Blech! Ok, you're ok. Nate's comin' over." Vin consoled and lightly patted Chris's shoulder while trying not to look at the sickness that was plastered to Buck's front.

The retching noise had drawn Nathan's attention and he shook his head in frustration. Josiah looked at Nathan and shrugged his shoulders.

Buck held his head up and away and was concentrating on breathing through his mouth while still managing to hold Chris up. Unfortunately this was not the first time Chris had vomited on him. When Chris had first lost Sarah and Adam he'd done all he could to keep Chris out of trouble. Many a time he'd had to sling his inebriated friend over his shoulder and cart him off to a rented room to sleep it off and inevitably Chris would choose that moment to let out the spirits so to speak.

Nathan knelt down next to the two friends and noticed Chris's pallid features. "How you doin'?" he asked as the slightly greenish coloring returned to Chris's face. "You gonna be sick?" Chris gave a shake to his head while breathing deeply through his nose. Nathan and Buck both watched with baited breath as all the color drained from his face and he grabbed the bucket that had miraculously appeared before him.

"Smart man." Buck complemented Nathan out the side of his mouth even though there was no possibility of Chris hearing the comment over the noise he was making into the bucket.

Chris groaned and looked around behind him before lying down on the blanket. "Anyone got any whiskey? I could really use a drink."

"Don't even think about it. Your stomach is upset and you've rattled what little you've got in that melon of yours." Nathan admonished as he started assessing the damage that the gunslinger had incurred. Chris tried to bat Nathan's hands away but Nathan growled some warning that no one else could hear. Chris relented and proceeded to stoically lie there and submit to Nathan's ministrations.

Buck stood up and stated to anyone who cared to listen. "I'm gonna go clean up, the rain's finally slowing. Once everyone is squared away we'll bundle them off to town."

Nathan grunted his acceptance and proceeded to clean and dress Chris's head wound. "Be glad you have a hard head." He admonished Chris.

As Buck left the shelter and trudged over to his horse he passed by the wagon where Ezra and Maude were deeply involved in a conversation.

"So Mother, to what honor do I owe this visit? Are you short of funds, in need of assistance on a con, or are you again seeking protection from a spurned lover." Ezra jeered. "Your last several visits have only revolved around your own wants and not any desire to see me."

Maude crossed her arms over her chest and scowled. "Spare me your ridicule. You are as materialistic as I am. That's how I raised you. You, my dear boy are wasting your talents in this one horse town. You could do so much more on the riverboats that travel the Mississippi. I taught you well, use it."

Ezra threw his hands in the air and sighed in exasperation "Mother, I am taking a break from that part of my life right now. I own the saloon and maybe one day I will expand. Business agrees with me. Living hand to fist was getting old. I enjoy having a nice fat bank roll to fall back on." He leveled his gaze at her and smiled stiffly "Now what has brought you to our fair town?"

"I came to see you." She stated matter-of-factly raising her chin, daring him to declare her a fraud.

Ezra looked at his mother, really looked. She had aged over the last few months and appeared to have lost weight. Of course the state he found her in today did not help matters any. With her traveling dress torn and tattered, sporting mud and who knew what else and the hem ripped out dragging in the muck. Her once, he would bet money on it, perfectly coiffed hair was plastered to her forehead and in ragged knotted ringlets down her back. Her normally porcelain complexion was covered in mud, caked powder and scratches. And though he could barely see it; she had a red blemish on her left cheek bone that was sure to turn a beautiful shade of blue and green before all was said and done.

"Ezra, you should be proud of your mother." J.D. declared as he came up to the wagon to grab a few blankets for the injured as they waited for Nathan to clear them for travel. "If it hadn't been for her Chris and Mr. Burns may have drowned. She helped me and Josiah pull them to safety and then she helped me tend them and set up the shelter." J.D. smiled knowingly at Ezra's perplexed expression. J.D. turned to Maude and said, "Just so's I don't forget to later, Thanks for helping. I couldn't have done it without you and I'm sure when Chris is feeling better he'll thank you too."

Maude stood there with a stunned expression on her face. "I didn't expect any thanks; I just wanted to get out of this horrible situation and into town before dark." She murmured.

Ezra took his mother's hands into his own and turned them over to look at the palms. And there to his astonishment were the rope burns across her delicate skin. He looked at her and muttered "I'm sure Mr. Jackson has some salve in his wondrous bag of tricks. He'll fix you up in the blink of an eye."

"Hey Ez sorry to break up the family reunion but daylight's burnin' and we've got work to do." Vin called from where he was pulling a canvass tarp off of Peso. They would place the driver in the tarp and take him back to town using Pony who was the because he was the bravest and would be the most tolerant of new things.

"Just a moment Mr. Tanner." Ezra answered before turning back to his mother. "Please go wait over by the shelter. There is some unpleasantness that needs to be seen to and you must be tired. It appears that some industrious individual has built a fire with the supplies we brought from town and I'm sure it is much warmer over there than here now."

"I am a little tired so I will take you up on the offer and go bide my time with the others." Maude gave a small smile and dragged herself into the shelter and sat down next to Josiah who was leaning back on a saddle that had been brought in and placed there for that purpose.

Josiah cracked an eye open as Maude leaned forward to hold her chilled hands out to the crackling flames. "After what we've been through today that fire seems heavenly." Josiah surmised and angled his sock covered feet closer to the comforting warmth.

Mr. Burns cleared his throat quietly and whispered "Do you know how much longer we'll be delayed? I'm not complaining, I'm just a little hungry and a soft bed would do wonders at this juncture." He shifted a glance over to Chris when he heard movement from that side of the shelter. He sighed in relief when no response was forth coming and he heard the steady breathing of sleep.

"After they've taken care of the driver and the stage horse they'll come for us and we'll go back to town in the wagon." Josiah frowned as he heard the clanging of pickaxes and shovels as the able bodied peacekeepers buried the horse deep enough to keep predators away. For the first time in quite awhile he wished for the day to end quickly.

Buck and Nathan dropped their shovels near the others and stepped away from the area that now contained the stage horse. The driver's body was lying across Pony's back. J.D. had taken Chris's gear and stowed it in the wagon.

"Ok, Buck and I are going to get everyone into the wagon." Nathan informed the group as he wiped the at the dirt caking his hands. He looked to the horizon and noted the position of the sun. "We've got to shake a tail feather if we want to get back to town before dark."

"Hah, I hadn't even noticed that the sun had made a re-appearance until just now." Vin said in awe. "Maybe this day will work itself out in the end."

Maude noticed that Buck and Nathan were walking back toward the shelter and stood up to go meet them. "Am I to assume that with your timely arrival that we will soon continue our trek?" she asked as they stepped up outside.

"Yes ma'am. You'll ride on the seat beside ol' Nate here and these three drowned rats can ride in back." Buck grinned and assisted Mr. Burns to the wagon.

Nathan squatted down to help Josiah with his boots. "Sorry Nate, seemed to have stiffened up while lying here. Body doesn't want to let me bend over that far." Josiah groaned and held his ribs tightly. The pain radiating from his chest was excruciating and he was forced to pant in order to provide his body that it was starving for. Blackness was starting to crowd his vision and he began to feel woozy. "Nate?" he choked out before darkness claimed him.

Nathan laid Josiah back and tapped him on the cheek. "Josiah?" he called several times before he saw a slight twitching of the grizzled hands. "Come on you can do it, open them blue eyes." Nathan encouraged.

Josiah lifted heavy eyelids and groaned. "What happened?"

"You fainted." Nathan chuckled and moved behind Josiah to help push him to a seated position. "Okay, this time let me do most of the work and I think we can get you moving enough to get to the wagon."

"Need some help there?" Buck asked as he returned from taking Mr. Burns to the wagon.

"Nope think we got it." Nathan grunted when Josiah was finally upright again. "Need to lay off of those extra helpings of apple pie there Josiah. Didn't think I'd make it. If you're not careful you'll end up as wide as you are tall.

Josiah shuffled slowly and painfully to the wagon groaning and gasping the whole way. Once he got to the wagon and he was able to catch his breathe he shot back at Nathan "Well you're so ugly you'd have to sneak up on a dipper to get a drink of water."

Buck and Nathan stared after the preacher and looked at each other quizzically until they heard a snort and a loud laugh from behind them that erupted into "Ow, ow, ugh don't make me laugh." They turned to see Chris Larabee bent over holding his head tightly.

"Oh my God, that was so funny. Got to remember that one 'so ugly you'd have to sneak up on a dipper'. Hehe. Ouch." Chris pushed himself to his full height and gingerly started for the wagon squinting the whole way. Holding his arms out slightly to balance himself; he planned to get to the wagon with little or no assistance.

Buck walked slowly beside Chris sure at any moment the wind was going to drop from his sails and he'd have to pull the gunslinger from the mud once again. But as had happened on more than one occasion the gunslinger proved him wrong. Not only did he make it to the wagon he slapped at any hands that tried to assist him into the back. As he lowered himself to the bed of the wagon and leaned against the side he threw a glare at Buck and Nathan. "Been climbin' into wagons since I was a young'n; I don't figure I've forgotten how to do it."

"Relax Stud. Nate and I just figured on making the trip a little easier on your sore head." Buck stated and stepped back from the wagon with his hands in the air.

Nathan climbed up into the seat next to Maude and clucked the horses into motion.

"Nate?" Chris called up to the healer.

"Yeah Chris?" he asked without looking over his shoulder.

"Try not to hit every bump on the way back to town or you may just come down with a slight case of lead poisoning." Chris cracked to the front of the wagon causing Josiah and Mr. Burns to chuckle.

Nate just snorted and replied "Yeah but I've got a very large supply of Castor Oil."

"Mr. Jackson. You wouldn't. The man is injured." Maude gasped in awe and then looked straight forward trying to keep a grin off of her face. "Probably wouldn't hurt too much, he is ornery after all."

Everyone in the wagon burst out laughing except for Chris whose glare was burning a hole Nathan's back. If Nathan thought could he dose Chris Larabee with Castor Oil and live to tell about it he had a nothing thing coming.


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: The Magnificent Seven and characters are the property of MGM Television, The Mirsch Corporation, Trilogy Entertainment Group and CBS. No profit has been made off of this work and I unfortunately don't own them. No copyright infringement is intended._

Chapter 7

As Nathan pulled the wagon up in front of the clinic and set the brake, the groans from the wagon bed increased. He looked back from the bench and watched as first Chris slowly pulled himself to the tailgate and slid off the end; grimacing as his boots made contact with the ground. Mr. Burns had inched himself toward the tailgate and had climbed down without assistance and was currently standing on the boardwalk with a perplexed look on his face.

Josiah was reclining in the back of the wagon looking down the street contemplating if he really wanted to put the effort into moving. "I think I'll just set up housekeeping here. Just roll me down to the Church and I'll be fine."

"Mr. Watson may want his wagon back at some point. Don't think he'd cotton to having to cart your sorry carcass all over creation." Nathan stated as he assisted Maude down from the wagon.

Maude looked down at her ruined outfit and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know why I even bother," and lifted her skirts up out of the mud anyway and picked her way through the muck over to the boardwalk. She checked her small purse which had miraculously stayed attached to her underpinnings; its contents intact. "If you have no further use of my services I believe that I will go and see what this town has to offer in ready-made garments as my current ensemble has seen better days."

Nathan looked up from where he was assisting Josiah down from the wagon, "You go ahead Ms. Standish. Most of the shops are going to be closing up for the day within the next little while. If you should need anything just let me know." He turned and fixed his gaze upon Mr. Burns. "How are you feeling? Do you think you need to come up to the clinic?"

Mr. Burns looked up and down the street before answering. "I am actually feeling quite well other than being famished. Thank you for tending my wounds and bringing me to town. I am going to procure a bed for the evening, take a bath and get myself a nice meal." He smiled as he patted his stomach. "My family should be here in the morning to collect me."

"Good luck Gus. Don't be a stranger." Josiah grinned. When Nathan would have directed him to the clinic Josiah balked. "With all that I've been through today and as long as I'm not toe up in the cemetery I will sleep in my own bed."

Nathan sighed and looked in the direction of the church "You ought to spend one night in the clinic. Just want to be sure nothing is seriously wrong."

Josiah just frowned and pointed to the church. "I will sleep in my own bed this evening. I only busted my ribs and cut my head. I'm neither dead nor dying so; you can either make sure I get there in one piece or I will escort myself. Your choice amigo, but daylight's burning and I'm tired."

Nathan looked as if he would disagree but he threw his hands in the air. "Fine, fine we'll do it your way but don't come cryin' to me when you can't breathe through the blood that filled your lungs!"

Josiah just snorted and stated "Respect your elders and lend me a hand." Though he would not admit he was leaning a little heavier on Nathan than he would have liked but his bed was calling and there was nothing like its familiar comfort when feeling poorly.

After tucking Josiah into bed Nathan was standing at the door knowing he had forgotten something but could not for the life of him remember what it was.

As Nathan was heading to the clinic he noticed Buck stop in front of the undertaker's with the driver's body. The undertaker brought out a stretcher and he and Buck untied the body and laid it inside. They took the stretcher inside the darkened interior of the building. Pony stood there calm and unaffected during the entire operation. Chris had trained Pony well. While he watched the going on's he finally remembered what he had forgotten. Chris Larabee. "Damn it!" he cursed under his breath and stalked toward the saloon where he was sure he would find his wayward charge.

The saloon was blessedly free of patrons when Chris walked through the swinging doors. He sauntered, well sauntered as much as one could with a herd of buffalo pounding through his brain, to his normal table in the corner of the room. He sat as gently as he could in the chair and shaded his eyes from the sunlight that was now coursing through the window.

"My hat. I forgot all about it. Now I'm going to have to buy a new one and spend months breaking it in just right." He sighed and looked around the room. He caught Inez's attention and signaled her over.

"Senor Larabee you look a little worse for the wear. What happened to you?" Inez looked him over top to bottom. She had not had the opportunity to see Mr. Larabee in such a state of dishabille. The man was covered head to toe in dirt, hair sticking up in stiff spikes, clothing torn and sporting a bandage around his head.

"It's a long story and one I'd rather not relive at the moment." He stated as he looked up at her with eyes he could barely open if he wanted to keep the pain in his head at a manageable level. "Can you bring me a beer and a bottle of whiskey? I'm in need of a little diversion."

Inez frowned at him but turned to do his bidding. She returned with his drinks and before he could thank her she disappeared behind the bar.

He just shrugged and poured himself a shot of Whiskey. He thought of the consequences he would be facing in the morning for all of two seconds before downing the golden liquid. He gasped as it burned the back of his throat and continued down to his empty stomach. When it hit he was filled with comforting warmth. "Ah!" was all he could groan before he settled back in the chair and closed his eyes to savor the moment. He was brought out of his contentment by the sound of a plate thudding down on the table before him. He looked down at the plate and then up at a perturbed Inez above him. "Yes?" he asked.

"Eat; you've probably not had a thing all day! No need for you to get soused on an empty stomach." She frowned at him and stood with her hands on her hips until he relented and picked up the fork. "Eat Senor Larabee. I will not ask again. If you will not take care of yourself who will?"

He looked at the plate of food before him and wondered if his stomach could handle it. Inez had provided him with roasted chicken, mashed potatoes and carrots all with a generous helping of gravy and bread on the side. His stomach growled and his mouth watered reminding him just how hungry he really was.

He heard someone enter the saloon and looked up; saw it was Vin and went back to eating.

"When you hit wood, stop." Vin grinned and slid into the seat next to Chris. "By the way I found something you may want."

Chris looked up with a questioning glance, forced a bite of food down and mumbled "What?" before shoveling in another forkful of mashed potatoes.

"Your hat." Vin stated matter-of-factly.

"My hat?" Chris mumbled around a mouthful of food. "You sure? Cause I really wasn't looking forward to having to by a new one. You know how long they take to break in."

Vin laughed and sat back laying the object of their discussion on the table in front of the gunslinger.

Chris put down his fork and picked up the hat to examine it. It was of course a little worse for the wear but with a little work he thought he'd be able to straighten out the brim which seemed to have a wave design to it and the crown looked like Pony had sat on it at some point. But it amazingly had no holes or tears in the hat so it could be repaired. A little steam and some elbow grease and it'd be wearable once again. "Thanks." Was all he could say before the headache reminded him of its presence. He poured himself another whiskey and downed it quickly, grimacing as it burned all the way down. Another shot would go down much smoother he thought to himself and should start working on his headache.

Vin watched him down the two shots of whiskey. "I don't think that's a good idea. You want a awful headache?"

"Got one thanks." Chris smirked and sat back in the chair closing his eyes and rubbing his aching temples.

Nathan stormed into the saloon a few moments later striding over to where Chris and Vin were seated.

"You got rocks for brains?" He shouted loud enough to make Chris wince. Nathan started pacing back and forth and counting statements of fact off on his fingertips. "You've got a head injury, you just spent the day retching your guts out, you can barely open your eyes, you can't walk straight, and if I remember correctly, you've got a headache already!" By the end of Nathan's tirade Chris hand his hands over his ears and eyes squeezed shut.

When the noise level had decreased Chris cautiously took his hands off his ears and glared at Nathan. "You done yet? Cause I think I can still hear outta this one ear." Chris pushed the plate, glass and bottle away and stood up. "I had only planned on having a couple drinks, not to get drunk. Now if you'll excuse me I'd like to take a bath. I've got mud in places you shouldn't get mud and my hair feels like a cows been licking it."

Vin snorted from where he was sitting. "Kinda looks like it too, Cowboy."

Chris scowled at him and slapped him upside the head. "Not a Cowboy! How many times am I going to have to remind you of that Tanner?

"'Til the cows come home." He shrieked and ducked his head to avoid being slapped again.

"My head hurts too much to mess with you anymore, Tanner. I'll see you all tomorrow." Chris groused before walking out of the saloon to cross the mucky street to the bathhouse. He stopped in the middle of the throughway suddenly remembering that he needed a change of clothes. There was no way he was going to be putting these back on and he couldn't very well walk around town naked. He chuckled to himself as he pictured the swooning women. He really must have rattled his brains to even be entertaining those thoughts. He made the necessary detour to his room at the boarding house and was soon soaking in a tub of very hot water, enjoying a smoke.

When the water had cooled down enough to chase him from the tub he dried off and got dressed. His hair was now thankfully clean and he could no longer be mistaken for some vagrant. He could get as dirty as the next person but even he had standards. When he stepped outside he noticed someone had lit the fires and it was now dark. "Think I'm gonna turn in early tonight. Been too long of a day already." He murmured to himself. "I'll have a talk with Maude tomorrow, I don't have the patience tonight."

Maude had had to use the bathhouse earlier in the evening after purchasing her ready-made dress. She would have preferred a nice long soak in her hotel room but she could not tolerate the mud one second more. So with baited breath she had availed herself of the public baths and later sat down to enjoy a quiet dinner in the hotel.

"Mother, here you are. I have been searching everywhere for you." Ezra commented as he settled into the chair across from his mother. He ordered bourbon when the waiter stopped by the table. "I have some wonderful news for you. We found some of your belongings and I had them delivered to the room you are renting in town."

Maude looked at him and smiled. "You are joking, are you not?"

He looked at her and frowned. "Dear mother is that all you can ask? I just spent two hours crawling around in the muck gathering up your personal belongings, and I mean some of them were personal. Can I even get a 'Thank you dear Ezra for crawling in the mud and the muck so that I may have clothing to put on my back?' Really, is that too much to ask?" He searched the room for the waiter and his drink. "Where did he have to go to get my drink, Kentucky?"

"Ezra, be patient and," she sighed and then quickly spit out "Thank you dear Ezra for crawling around in the mud to collect my personal belongings. That good enough?"

"Don't forget the muck." He stated and thanked the waiter when he handed him his drink.

"Thank you for crawling in the muck. That is all you are going to get out of me." She huffed and took a sip of her wine. "I think I'm going to turn in early this evening. I think I have used all of my luck up today."

Ezra swallowed his drink in one gulp as he stood up. "You do that. I will speak with you tomorrow. I am off to the tables to woo Lady Luck. Pleasant dreams." He took his leave and crossed the street to the saloon.

Maude paid for her meal and strolled to the hotel. Once in her room she prepared for bed and then did something she had not done in years. She walked over to the bed, knelt down and took a fortifying breath. Clasping her hands together she bowed her head. "I know I have been neglectful of You over the years. Praying to Lady Luck to help fatten my purse and keep me safe when a plan did not go exactly as it should. So this evening I will thank you Lord for saving my bacon and letting me see the end to another day. Oh and thank You for saving those who saved me so I could see another sunset. I get up to late too see the sunrise, forgive me. I need my beauty rest. Thank you for Ezra who is more like his father every time I see him. Though if you give him some of my traits of self preservation he may live a more comfortable and long life. Finally, Thank You for taking the time to listen to an old fool. Amen."


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: The Magnificent Seven and characters are the property of MGM Television, The Mirsch Corporation, Trilogy Entertainment Group and CBS. No profit has been made off of this work and I unfortunately don't own them. No copyright infringement is intended._

Chapter 8

Josiah awoke to the sun's rays slanting across his face. "Damn, oops Sorry." He sighed and started to reach to grab the blankets and pull them up over his head when his ribs protested the movement. "Okay fine there are two ways to skin a cat." With great care he reached up behind his head and pulled out the pillow which quickly found a new home; lying over his face. The pillow effectively blocked out the light and a few adjustments to its position ensured that he was still able to breathe. Just as he felt sleep beginning to overtake him again a pressing need in his bladder let itself be known. "I can't win." He moaned and began the arduous task of working his way out of the bed. First he slowly lifted his right foot to push the remaining blankets to the foot of the bed. "Don't want to get my feet tangled in the blankets." He thought to himself as he slowly rolled to his side which caused his ribs to sing out in pain and the opera to begin when he lowered his feet to the floor. He laughed out in pain and a few tears trickled down his face. "Now the hard part." He huffed out gritting his teeth and pushing himself to a sitting position and then to a standing position. He held on to the wall as stars danced in front of his eyes and the ringing in his ears increased to deafening proportions before settling down to a more manageable level. He took a deep breath and hobbled his way to the outhouse to take care of his call to nature.

Chris unfortunately had been awake since before sunrise; the pain from the headache driving him from his bed. He had tried to turn over and go back to sleep but the drums would not be silenced. He had then flopped onto his back and had beaten the mattress with his fists in frustration. Blowing out a breath, he sat up scrubbing his hands over his face, groaning through his hands, "No more sleep for me." Sighing he got up from the bed and pulled out a clean set of clothes. While dressing slowly he pondered what he was going to do during the day. He knew by the way that he was feeling that riding was out of the question and he was unsure how much help he would actually be in town if trouble was to break out. Moving too fast made him dizzy and it was difficult to think straight when he was hearing every thump of his heart. After finishing his morning ambulations he moved slowly down the stairs so as to not jolt his aching head. He thought a walk through the town in the early morning hours might help distract him from the pain. The cool breeze that had sprung up was welcoming and he soon found himself in front of the jailhouse. Looking through the windows confirmed that the jailhouse was currently unoccupied so he grabbed a chair from inside and set it up on the porch. He gratefully sank onto the chair; pushing back with his toes; the chair back was soon leaning against the outside of the jailhouse with only two feet resting in the wood deck. He kept watch as the sun rose and with it the early morning stirrings of a bustling town.

Vin ambled down the street from the general direction of the boarding house, waving to merchants that were preparing for the day. Chris chuckled as he watched Inez wave at Vin and Vin send a small wave back and speed his walk to the jailhouse. Vin stepped up onto the porch and grabbed a second chair from inside setting it up beside Chris's before mimicking his posture. "Mornin'. It's gonna be a beautiful day." He shot a sideways glance at Chris and watched how he gingerly rubbed at his forehead. "Still got the headache?"

Chris let out a breath and stated "Ain't gone away yet. You know how these things are. Probably gonna have it for a few more days." He let the chair fall forward but caught it before the legs hit the floor. He gingerly stood up and held out an arm when the world tilted on its axis. "Damn it!" he cursed as he stood still to wait for the feeling to pass. "You up for some breakfast?" He asked as he noticed Vin staring at him with a frown on his face.

"I guess so. You gonna be alright to walk all that way?" Vin asked standing up to join Chris.

Chris looked at the door to the restaurant and back at Vin and then back at the restaurant. "Uh Vin?"

Vin looked at Chris with a bland expression, "Yeah?"

"The door is five feet away. If I can't walk five feet you better call the undertaker cause I must be dead." And with that Chris Larabee turned his back on Vin Tanner and strode into the restaurant unassisted.

Several hours later Maude was awakened by the sounds of an active town. She could hear the wagons rambling up and down the main thoroughfare, people calling out to one another and children laughing and crying. "Should have asked for a room on the back; it'd be quieter." She thought to herself as she pushed up in the bed. Considering all she had been through yesterday she was feeling pretty good today. She had some tenderness in her shoulders and her palms were raw from holding on to the rope during the "rescue" but that seemed to be all of her maladies. She climbed from the bed and stretched all the kinks out before walking over to where her bags had been stacked. She opened the top bag and began rummaging through it to find something clean to wear. Most of the clothing inside was relatively unscathed but many were damp. She finally persevered when she found some under things toward the bottom that had somehow remained dry. She put those aside and moved the case over by the door. Checking through the next two bags she found that these had not fared as well. The clothes were wet and gritty. They would need to be cleaned before she could wear them again. "Well at least I can wear my own underthings." Thirty minutes later Maude was dressed and at the lobby front desk requesting that someone collect her clothing and take it to the laundry. Once the hotel manager assured her that all would be taken care of; she strolled down to the clinic.

Nathan looked up from re-wrapping Josiah's ribs when a knock sounded at the door. He was just about to tell the person on the other side that he'd be with them in a moment when the door opened and none other than Maude Standish walked into the room. "Oh my!" she quickly turned her back but did not leave the room.

"Ms. Standish if you'll step outside for a moment I can finish up with Josiah and see to you next." Nathan stuttered as Josiah blushed about five shades of red and grimaced fiercely while putting on his shirt with all due haste.

"I only need a moment of your time. Ezra had informed me that you had a wonderful salve to use on injuries. You see I seem to have some rope burns on my palms and since my hands are my livelihood I just wanted to tend them." She kept her back to the two men and thanked the heavens that they could not see her face. She was not a blushing virgin but she kept trying to control her devilish smirk with no luck at all. She had under estimated Josiah; he was in fact a very well built male specimen. "It's been too long" she thought to herself. If the man had any inkling what so ever to the thoughts running through her mind right now he might very well be set upon by a fit of apoplexy. She defiantly had some images burned into her mind that could keep her warm at night.

Nathan strode over to the cabinets and rummaged around inside. "That's all you need? Well heck let me get that for you real quick." He found the small jar and placed it in her outstretched hand. "Just put it on twice a day, morning and night, and you'll be right as rain in just a few days time." He smiled at her and walked her to the door. "Remember my door is always open if you should need anything."

"Why thank you Mr. Jackson that is just so sweet." She gave Nathan her most coy smile and peered back in the doorway at Josiah. "I hope you are feeling better soon Mr. Sanchez."

Josiah stood back a little and waved at her. "Thank you ma'am. I appreciate it."

Maude put the jar in her satchel, adjusted the jacket over her dress, walked down the stairs and headed over to the restaurant to get some lunch.

As she neared the restaurant she observed Chris Larabee sitting in front of the jailhouse. He seemed to be deeply in conversation with Buck Wilmington. She smiled as she thought to herself, "If I just walk by quietly and try not to draw attention to myself I may be able to pass without him questioning me about why I have come to town." She walked by the two and their conversation didn't even slow. She knew she was almost free; she reached for the handle and started to pull the door to the restaurant open when a quiet voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Afternoon Ms. Standish, do you have a moment to speak?" Chris Larabee said low and calm.

Maude took her hand from the door handle, slid her poker face into place and turned to look Chris Larabee in the eye. "Oh, please forgive me. I did not see you there. Good afternoon to you, Mr. Larabee and you, Mr. Wilmington."

"Thank ye ma'am. Afternoon to you." Buck grinned, waved to her and from a silent message from Chris went inside the jailhouse.

Chris levered a stare at her and cocked an eyebrow. "You didn't see me here? I find that hard to believe. You are a woman who notices everything. You'd have to be to have managed to move about unscathed." He crossed his arms over his chest and seemed to be contemplating a piece of mud marring the tow of his boot. He reached forward and flicked it off and dropped his foot to the plank.

Maude tried not to twitch but she felt like she was about to be scolded by a disappointed parent. She looked down for a quick moment, away from his gaze. After she collected herself and schooled her features she looked back up into his eyes. "Yes Mr. Larabee can I help you with something?"

He stared at her face for a long moment before asking, "Why have you come to Four Corners?"


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: The Magnificent Seven and characters are the property of MGM Television, The Mirsch Corporation, Trilogy Entertainment Group and CBS. No profit has been made off of this work and I unfortunately don't own them. No copyright infringement is intended._

Maude slowly turned and focused her gaze on Chris. "Why did I come to Four Corners?" she parroted back and watched as his eyes turned a stormier green and the muscles around his mouth tightened.

"I'm not going to repeat myself; all I want is the reason." The moments ticked by and she just stared at him her expression unchanging. When no answer was forthcoming he continued on, "I need to know if this town is going to be turned upside down again by something following in your wake?" He stood up slowly and though he knew it was an underhanded move prepared to use his reputation and size to intimidate an answer out of her. He schooled his features into a forbidding scowl and took a step forward. The stubborn woman held her ground and her expression remained the same.

"Hold your ground." She told herself, "Don't show any weakness." She watched him as bird would watch a snake. He lowered his head, tightened his gaze and took another step. He angled his body toward her and shifted his stance just enough to make Maude feel crowded without actually doing it. She caught her breath.

"There it is!" He crowed to himself as he saw the slight hitch in her breath, "Now push again before she can fortify herself." He shot off two questions in rapid succession, "Who are you running from? What did you do?" He watched as she started to crumble, her lower jaw trembled imperceptibly and her iris's widened. He noticed the tightening of her muscles as she prepared to flee.

"I've got to get away," was all that was running through her mind and she frantically tried to push past him. Suddenly Chris Larabee had a grip on her right arm above the elbow and she panicked. "No, please if they find me they will kill me!" she wailed hysterically and fell into him as she sank to the boardwalk grasping desperately at his hands.

Chris Larabee was flummoxed, he who tried to keep his cool at all times had a hysterically crying woman at his feet, grasping at him and good Lord, drawing the attention of half the town and all he could say was "Ms. Standish, calm down, calm down." He looked around desperately for assistance and did the only thing he could think of. "Buck, get out here!" he yelled and prayed for a quick response.

Buck poked his head out of the jailhouse door and looked quizzically at Chris, "Yeah? You need some assistance there?" he raised his voice to be heard over the wailing.

"Buuuck!" Chris growled and gave him a glare so filled with heat that it could have melted ice. "If you don't get out here and help me get her inside you're not going to be able to sit a saddle for a week." He whispered harshly while trying to act nonchalant with Maude hanging on him.

"Is everything okay out here Mr. Larabee?" came a distinctly feminine voice from behind him.

Chris whipped around so fast that he was sure he pulled a muscle. Maude Standish's hands suddenly wrapped around his thigh and she pressed her face to the outside of his leg. "Please you have to help me."

"Fine, fine Ms. Travis. Everything is just fine." He breathed out as he tried to disentangle himself from the woman who seemed to have morphed into a Hydra and could not be removed from his person. In desperation to escape Mary Travis's questioning gaze, curious looks from the townspeople and Ms. Standish's roving hands, he leapt for the perceived safety of the interior of the jailhouse.

He landed just inside the doorway making contact with the unforgiving floorboards. Buck had somehow managed to get a hold of Maude and pulled her off of Chris while Chris hauled himself up off of the floor and slammed the door shut. Chris flipped around leaning his back against the door; breathing hard shouted, "What in the Hell was that all about?" He looked over to where Buck and Maude had landed in an untidy heap with Maude's skirts piled all around them. Buck was hurriedly trying to put her skirts back to rights when he noticed that she was shaking uncontrollably. He inched up onto his knees and looked over to where she had her face covered by her arm and inquired, "Are you alright ma'am?" When she didn't answer him he inched closer and with an incredulous look on his face, "Are you laughing?"

"What?" Chris choked out striding over to the two people on the floor. He looked down at Maude who was now covering her face with her hands and her entire body was convulsing in laughter. She was actually laughing. "Have you lost your mind?" he growled in amazement.

Buck stood up and slapped at the dust on his pants. "I wouldn't put it past her, Stud." He chuckled and despite his best efforts he started belly laughing right along with her. With tears in his eyes and gasping for breath he pointed at Chris and gasped, "If you could have seen your face, whoo hooo, oh my, he he, you looked like you had just been found with your hands up the preacher's daughter's skirts."

"I'm not laughing." Chris ground out with his hands on his hips. "You care to explain your self, Maude?"

At the use of her given name she sat up and dabbed at her eyes. "You sir, are much too serious." She hiccupped and slowly stood up wiping at her skirts. "You really ought to try smiling once in a while. Do you really want people to think that you are always suffering from constipation?"

"Whether my bowels function correctly is not up for discussion." He stated screwing up his nose, "What was all of that about?"

Maude sighed and sat down in a nearby chair. "The opportunity presented itself, I took it. Laugh once in a while Mr. Larabee, it keeps you young." Chris just stared at her with a blank expression on his face. "You are hopeless. Ok. The only reason I have come to Four Corners is to relax. I am tired of travelling from town to town; if you can believe it."

"So why stay here? You could stay in any number of exciting cities." Buck asked while sitting on the end of the desk.

"I need quiet, just for a few weeks mind you. I have been bouncing from one town to another for over two years. I have been to San Francisco, Sacramento, Tombstone, Abilene, Kansas City and Saint Louis to name a few. So I was trying to think of somewhere I could go that it was quiet but that I could still play the tables without a lot of effort." She answered as she straightened her skirts around her.

Chris didn't look convinced. "So you're sayin' that you are just here to relax? There's no one after you or anyone who may come and tear up the town?" He asked leaning back in the chair rubbing at his forehead.

"Not this time. At least not that I know of," She smiled at Chris and batted her eyes, "though I could arrange for some nefarious individuals to descend upon your town and make it a little livelier. Would that be to your approval?"

Chris suddenly sat forward cracking his knee on the desk. "Ow. No, that is not necessary." He groused as he rubbed at the afflicted appendage. "I would prefer it stay boring and quiet if you don't mind. I like predictable."

"Are we done here then?" she asked the room in general before standing up and walking toward the exit. As she pulled the door open she turned to Chris and simpered "You really ought to speak to Mr. Jackson about removing the stick from your hind end. Might make your disposition a little more sunny."

Chris saw red and jumped up from the chair "What's up my hind end is my business. Now you just watch yourself because you can sure lay bets on the fact that I'll be watchin' you!"

"What an enjoyable proposition. I just love to be the center of attention." She gloated and exited the jailhouse.

Chris made a move to follow and Buck grabbed him around the shoulders and looked him in the eye. "Hey there Stud, I don't think you should go after her with your dander all up like this. You're liable to hurt yourself. Now she said she was just here to let off a little steam; not to raise a ruckus so I say let bygones be bygones and let it be." Buck replied and added, "I think you need to let off a little steam yourself. How about we head out of town and find ourselves some ladies who'd enjoy our company, if you know what I mean." Buck waggled his eyebrows at Chris.

"I think you may have yourself an idea there, Buck. I need a little down time myself." Chris smirked and followed Buck out the door down to the livery.

Later that evening Maude sat in the saloon playing a game of poker with Josiah, Vin and Nathan. As she looked out the window to a beautiful sunset she thought of how lucky she was to be able to experience such a sight. Yesterday's storm had cooled the air just enough to create a calming breeze making it the perfect night for a moonlit stroll or for just sitting around the poker table for hours fattening her purse. Her personal favorite pastime. She saw two riders coming up the street and recognized Buck and Chris. As they started to ride by she watched as Chris brought his horse to a stop in front of the saloon. He stared in the window at Maude and tipped his hat at her; giving her a small smile before laughing at some comment Buck had made. He urged his horse on and he and Buck headed out of town to who knew where. The sound of the piano tinkling in the background, the clinking of glasses and masculine laughter brought her out of her wandering thoughts and she smiled at the boys sitting around her. "I can stay here for a while where it's safe. Maybe even stop here more frequently during my travels and actually visit with Ezra. He seems content here and he has six wonderful friends."

"Does this mean that you will have mercy on us Ms. Standish?" Josiah asked with a large smile plastered on his face. Vin and Nathan agreed with Josiah's statement.

She looked down at the cards she's just been dealt and then up at her three table mates. "I always show mercy to those less adept than I am at this game of chance." She crooned with a Cheshire cat grin and preceded to hand all three peacekeepers their hats.

The End.


End file.
